A winning start to the New Year for Lisburn Distillery

Loughgall 1

2014 started exactly as hoped for the men from New Grosvenor with a hard fought win against Loughgall, a side playing for the first time under recently appointed manager Brian Adair, Colin Hopkins reports.

Before the game supporters of Lisburn Distillery had been buoyed by the news of four new signings but as it turned out it was “old boy” Neil Alderdice who was to make the headlines, both good and bad, on the day.

The game got off to a perfect start for the hosts when, with only five minutes on the clock, impressive debutant Luke Wilson won a corner which was subsequently floated in by Kris Pike and met by a static Loughgall defence who allowed Alderdice to nip in and power a header past McConville.

Only four minutes later an almost identical situation led to the Whites taking a two goal lead.

Another corner, this time taken by Chris Kinsgberry, once again floated in, once again Alderdice on hand to nip in and power another header into the back of the net.

And so with less than ten minutes on the clock, the home side two goals to the good the game seemed as good as over, in what was very much a game where each team cancelled the other out.

The second half started very much as the first half had finished however, it was the visitors who were doing whatever pressing that was being done and indeed they had the best opportunity when on 58 minutes captain Steven Ferguson hit a sweetly struck shot from 20 yards out which cannoned off the home crossbar.

If anything this should have served as a wake up call for the home side but it was one they didn’t heed as the visitors then did pull a goal back on 67 minutes as a well struck effort from Daniel Ryan soared over home ‘keeper McBride.

All of a sudden the Whites knew they were in a game although truth be told the visitors were struggling to break down the stubborn Distillery defence until, with only eight minutes remaining, they were given grounds for hope as first half hero Alderdice made an uncalled for challenge which saw the referee reach for his pocket to produce a yellow card. Unfortunately for Alderdice he had already been booked for a challenge in the first half so on this occasion the second yellow led to a red with the defender being sent off for the first time in his career.

Despite their chasing the game and having the man advantage Loughgall were still struggling to break through a determined Lisburn Distillery defence and home manager Kincaid will have been delighted that they were restricted to one solitary chance during that last frantic ten minutes.

And so the hosts got 2014 off to a winning start, no doubt one that manager Kincaid will be hoping to build on as the side gear up for what they hope will be a positive push up the league table.